Megan Staudt signs to play softball for Ellsworth Community College

By John Burbridge

sports@charlescitypress.com

Megan Staudt had one of those moments that can make the most hardened of people avert their eyes in horror and/or run to the nearest washroom for regurgitation.

While playing for the Charles City Comets girls basketball team this past season, Staudt leaped to corral a long-court pass and came down hard in a single-leg landing.

“People thought I dislocated my knee because it bent back the wrong way,” Staudt said.

Fortunately, the injury proved to be not as bad as it first looked — no dislocation and no major ligament damage to Staudt’s right knee.

Nonetheless for Staudt, who had played varsity basketball for the Comets since her freshman year, the season was over.

“Basketball is my favorite sport … or it used to be,” said Staudt, who had just gotten over an illness that stunted the start of her final high school hoops season, and was anxious to make up for the lost time before the injury.

With her basketball season scrapped, Staudt decided to concentrate on getting ready for the softball season.

“I did a lot of physical therapy … I’m still doing therapy to make sure I heal right,” Staudt said. “I thought about going out for track again, but I decided it was best to not risk anything and make sure I’m ready for softball.”

On Thursday, which so happened to fall on Staudt’s 18th birthday, the Comet speedy outfielder signed on to play softball for Ellsworth Community College in Iowa Falls.

“My sister (Amanda) is a pitcher and plays first base for them,” Staudt said. “They sent one of their coaches to watch me play in one of our games last year.”

After throwing a runner out at third base from deep right field, Staudt passed the audition.

“She has tons of speed and she can cover a lot of ground in the outfield,” Charles City head softball coach Brian Bohlen said of his first-team all-conference player. “Not only is she an excellent fielder, but she has developed into one of our better hitters.

“I’m excited that she’s going to play at the next level.

Last season, Staudt hit .354 with a slugging percentage of .463. She also stole 24 bases out of 26 attempts.

But what really sticks from Staudt’s stat line is this: 82 at bats, 0 … we mean ZERO … strikeouts.

Take that Joe DiMaggio.

Ellsworth is a two-year college. After her time there, Staudt plans to continue her studies at the University of Northern Iowa.

“I would like to play softball for them, too,” she said.